Stampede at Puri's Rath Yatra Kills Three, Injures Dozens
A stampede during the Jagannath Rath Yatra festival in Puri, Odisha, has resulted in at least three deaths and around 50 injuries. The incident occurred early Sunday morning near the Shree Gundicha Temple as a large crowd of devotees gathered. Odisha’s government has ordered a high-level inquiry into the security and crowd management lapses that led to the tragedy. The Chief Minister has apologized for the incident and promised stringent action against those found responsible for negligence.
Unpacked:
The stampede was caused by a sudden surge in the crowd near the Shree Gundicha Temple during early morning darshan when hundreds of devotees had gathered. The crowd became uncontrollable, leading to people falling and being trampled, which triggered the tragic incident.
Three people died in the stampede: two women, Prabhati Das (52) and Basanti Sahu (42), and a 70-year-old man, Premakant Mohanty. All were residents of Khurda district and had come to Puri for the Rath Yatra festival.
The Odisha government has ordered a high-level inquiry into the security and crowd management lapses that led to the tragedy. The Chief Minister apologized publicly and promised stringent action against those found responsible. Additionally, two top officials were transferred as part of accountability measures.
Authorities claimed that adequate security arrangements were in place during the festival. However, the crowd suddenly went out of control, indicating possible lapses in crowd management and safety protocols. The ongoing investigation aims to identify what triggered the rush and whether any negligence contributed to the stampede.